)
)
The former Secretary of the now-defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, has described as “baseless” the criminal charges levelled against him and Andy Thomas Owusu by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Mr Bissue stated that he carried out his duties diligently and within the confines of the law during his tenure at the IMCIM, and welcomed the OSP’s decision to proceed with the case after over five years of deliberation.
According to court documents filed by the OSP at the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on 28 April, Mr Bissue is alleged to have corruptly accepted bribes totalling GHC 35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong—directly and through Mr Owusu—between January and February 2019.
)
)
)
)
The bribes were purportedly intended to expedite the renewal of an expired mining licence for ORR Resources Enterprise, bypassing the appropriate procedures.
ALSO READ: GoldBod makes first arrest, recovers GH₵ 1.3m from Indian suspects
In a statement responding to the charges, Mr Bissue said:
Any suggestion of misconduct is baseless and will be vigorously challenged through due process. I welcome the OSP’s decision to proceed with this case after more than five years of deliberation.
He called on the OSP to submit a complete, unedited, and unaltered version of the "Galamsey Fraud" video documentary referenced in the legal proceedings.
)
He stated:
Ghanaians deserve access to the unvarnished truth and factual evidence, free from distortion or misdirection by external narratives or selective interpretations.
ALSO READ: Akuffo-Addo: Worst and most miserable ex-president? - Here's an analyst's take
He further noted:
The timing of this prosecution—occurring under a different government from the one in which I previously served—highlights the importance of impartial judicial proceedings.
Mr Bissue reaffirmed his commitment to fully cooperate with the legal process and expressed confidence that the courts would handle the matter fairly and conclusively.